JUSTIN CAREY ‘Reaching Out Into the Dark’

27 – 28 November 11 – 6 pm

‘Reaching Out Into The Dark’ is a project that examines the experience of
solitude and loneliness in the urban environment.

One of the ironies of our increasingly interconnected world is that many of
us are living solitary lives. Solitude can be viewed as an active choice,
providing time to reflect, to plan and to recharge. The unhappy converse of
this though is loneliness, the experience of being involuntarily isolated.

This issue affects a significant proportion of the population in every
social group and is more prevalent with increasing age. This can be
associated with increased vulnerability, social isolation and poorer health
outcomes in the elderly population.

In Britain:

- More than 7 million people live alone
- Over 9 million adults are often or always lonely
- 52% of parents have had a problem with loneliness
- For 3.6 million people aged 65 and over, television is their main form
of company